Another day, another system debate - August 27, 2000 - Andrew Kaufmann
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of
the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There
is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. How obvious are the signs? Don't say we didn't warn you.
Day in and day out, I use this space to complain about writing introductions. So I won't do that
today. Or maybe I just did?
| Death of a legend |
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What some people seem to be forgetting, (I even saw it in a DA column a
while back), is that the legendary designer and creative force behind
the Metroid series, Gumpei Yokoi, was killed
in a car accident in 1997.
I can't think of any other game series that has lost the person
responsible for it being great, and managed to maintain it's level of
quality. And it makes me wonder just what a new metroid game without him
behind it would be like, since Samus without Gumpei would be like Snake
without Hideo.
-Tron, taking a moment of silence right now.
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A sad reminder indeed. Only Nintendo knows whether or not they'll continue the series, and
if so, how they plan on trying to fill Mr. Yokoi's shoes. Let's hope that if they do continue
the series, they make something Mr. Yokoi would be proud of.
| A year is a long time |
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Dear Agent:
Okay, I've been reading the debate about how the release date of the Game Cube will effect the new console race. Yesterday, you said that the fact that Game Cube is coming out over a year later means that people won't have to choose, and Nintendo might make the PSX look obsolete, thereby selling more units.
There are two problems with that theory. The first is that most gamers are impatient. The Gamecube could be 10 times the machine the PS2 is, but give gamers over a year to wait, and they're going to start getting anxious. Especially when their buddies start playing MGS2. Gamers might wait six or eight months for a sharper, faster system, but over a year? With another Final Fantasy on the shelves? I don't think so.
This leads to problem two. These days, game consoles are getting more and more costly. If people are persuaded into buying a PS2 by games like Final Fantasy, MGS2, and others, I doubt many of them will have the money to shell out for another system a year later. They'll stick with the system they already have.
Which means that Nintendo's only remaining market will be made up of those few gamers patient enough to wait a year and a half for the -possibility- of Metroid, and those few gamers with the money to throw away on -two- next generation systems. Not a lot of people, I'm guessing.
And on top of that, the continuing stream of great games for the PS (FF9, Crono Cross, etc.) helped gamers to resist the urge to buy a Dreamcast, but considering the weakness of the N64, Nintendo doesn't have anything to prevent players from going with the PS2.
I'm not Nintendo basher or anything, but from where I'm sitting, things don't look that rosy for the big N.
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Oh, I agree with you that people won't wait a year for Nintendo's system. My point is that, in
over a year, people can save money, or, as imporantly, can have another Christmas season go by.
It's more likely that people will buy both systems since they're spread apart so far than it would
be if they had release dates right next to each other. Also, the current PS2 games are nothing
to write home about. It might be a year before the really compelling PS2 games are released, which
is much closer to the Nintendo release date. So again, Nintendo has a chance.
| Worry about piracy? |
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Why does everyone think that piracy can make
or break a system? Personally, the PSX industry
has only lost $50 from me. The only game I have
copied that I probably would have bought is FF8.
And I probably will buy that someday.
I only buy games that are really worth my $50.
I'll copy games I rent if they're ok, but I hardly
play them. They're not worth the money. So, to me
copying games isn't like stealing them at all
because I wouldn't pay the money for them even if
I couldn't get a copy of it.
Piracy will always be there. Hell, they've already got
modchips for US PS2s. Companies learn to accept minimal
losses because they know they can never completely
eliminate it.
JT3
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I'm going to steer entirely clear on the pirating issue, as in, whether or not it's right or wrong
depending on your intentions. But I agree that pirating isn't going anywhere, and I doubt it'll make
or break a system. PSX pirating is pretty rampant, but profit margins aren't hurting that much
I'd imagine.
| Trinary? What was I thinking?b> |
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AK,
FYI - The word is tertiary.
--Brian W.
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OK, well, that's pretty embarassing. Pardon me while I hide in shame.
| Don't forget our buddy Sega! |
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And I'm still sittin here playing my Dreamcast. When will people notice they
have a great somewhat inexpencive piece of machinery right in front of them?
Oh well, purdy graphics say it all. Oh yeah, and Square.
Brotha Man Homie G Dawg Skillet
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I know several people with a Dreamcast. The problem is that it's not hitting our niche very
well over here at the GIA. RPGs on the Dreamcast are hurting. Hopefully, Phantasy Star Online
and Skies of Arcadia will help that.
| A rundown of the system wars |
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Game Cube is it? While it sports the most un-imaginative name of all platforms I can think of (really, Turbo-Grafix 16 sounds better), I will admit that the 'stats' for Nintendo's new system are impressive. Much like the 'X-box' (gawd, these are all horrid names!). These two systems plan on 'blowing' their competition out of the water with impressive numbers. Hmmm, didn't someone try this before? With the Nintendo 64?
All nostaglia aside (yeah, the 64 really is dead), do people really think that the Game Cube or the X-box can really topple the stranglehold the PS2 will represent when these two systems finally make their debute?
Dreamcast - Man, I bought this damn system knowing full well it was gonna tank, so I guess I can't really get upset... Let's face facts, the current crop of Dreamcast titles is weak (at best). Sales are nil in Japan and are decidedly slackening off in the States. Can anything save this system? Nope, no matter how many rebates they offer, the Dreamcast is not going to survive the PS2 onslaught.
PS2 - Woo-hoo! Mine is already payed for! I also requested October 26 off from work just so I could camp in my local EB! Naysayers will point out 'anti-aliasing' problems and the greater power of the Game Cube and X-box or even the exorbitant (compared to the Dreamcast price) cost of the system. Ok, one at a time. According to every resource I have read, Sony has fixed the 'anti-aliasing' problem and apparently it is an easy problem to solve. As for the greater power of it's two 'rivals', both designers have serious problems that will hamper their ability to control the market. Nintendo left a pretty unpleasant taste with the N64 and will have to work hard to entice 3rd party developers to aid their already weak line. As for the X-box, Microsoft may know computers but they 'don't know diddly' about the home gaming world, it will be interesting to see if they can even survive beyond the first 6-months. On to the price, yes PS2 may be $299 but not only do you have backwards compatability (woo-hoo!) but you also get a quality DVD player! It's like 3-in-1! Sony is a freaking genius!
Game Cube - Hmmm, exorbitant licensing fees drives away third party developers while Nintendo plans to enter the race way AFTER Sony left the gate. Yet I am supposed to believe this system will thrive? Right, I see this as a recipe for disaster. Personally, I think Nintendo is on a collision course set when Square jumped ship so many years ago. May be a coincidence, but every system Square has backed has done extraordinarily well. Nintendo will hang on through thick and thin (they are about the longest surviving developer) but don't expect big things. For a company that got their start so long ago, it almosts seems like they are being slowly left behind...
X-box - Ok, yuck! I like the idea of Microsoft developing a platform but I cannot possibly see how they plan on surviving? Sure, it may become the most powerful system to date but that in no way spells success. Add this in to the fact that the X-box won't see the light of day for quite awhile (after the PS2 makes it debut) and again I am baffled as to why anyone can predict the success of this system? I don't know, perhaps I am biased. Why in the hell would anyone want to fatten Bill Gates pockets even further?!?
Well there you have it, my thoughts on the new systems. To reiterate, think about what I said concerning Square and the system they back. If Square went back to Nintendo, I would firmly back the Game Cube. Scary, but entirely true.
Justin Bohlman .... "Hello, my name is Justin and I am a Square-aholic..."
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Well, since you ran down the system wars, I suppose I'll match.
Game Cube: A nice debut. It's got a long way to go before we can predict how it'll do in the next
round of system wars, but I like its chances. People have a soft spot in their hearts for Nintendo,
and if Nintendo can come up with a product that whips the N64's tail (which shouldn't be hard to do),
they'll be a force to fear. Third party development remains a big question mark, though, and that'll
also be an important factor.
PS2: My personal pick to be the winner of the next round. The hardware is good, if not the best,
and the third party support is very strong. The PlayStation is a household name just like Nintendo,
now, so one challenge has been overcome before the system is even seen in America. The fact it's coming
out well before the Game Cube helps.
Dreamcast: I love this system, but I worry about it. The games on the horizon look good, but it
doesn't seem like enough to carry them through the storm that is the PS2 and Game Cube. Sega needs
to make some killer games, and in a hurry.
X-Box: The X-factor in the race. It seems nobody wants Microsoft to succeed, but they've done it in
operating systems, so I don't doubt they have the ability to do it in games, too. If we start hearing
about revolutionary games coming for their system, it'll be time to worry. Right now the whole
thing is pretty nebulous, but it could become a big player, whether we want it to or not.
| Finally, a new Nintendo handheld! |
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AK
I don't know about you, but I'm anticipating the GBA more than the GC.
128-bits for a gaming sytem is old hat now. A 32-bit portable however...
-Agent X "hmmmmmm...anybody else feel the same way?"
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I'm really looking forward to it, too. How the Gameboy has managed to stay on top of the handheld
wars, even though several systems have come out that are far superior to it (Sega GameGear, the
TurboGrafx one, the NeoGeo one) is baffling to me. I mean, if my memory serves me, the Gameboy
came out before the SuperNES. That's ancient. Sure, they improved it by pocket-sizing it, and
adding color, but it's still the same old Gameboy. Baffling.
Closing Comments:
It's Chris time! Have a great everyone!
-Andrew Kaufmann
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